Falling

26

Vinny Taylor

"Why didn't you tell me about Isaac?" was the first thing Carson said to me once we were alone in his room after his friends had left to nurse their hangovers.

After hearing all the commotion downstairs this morning, I knew that would be what was stuck in his mind. My first instinct was to sneak out the window and avoid the confrontation downstairs at all costs. The second thought I had as I moved toward the window was that if I did that, any trust between Carson and me that we had built would be gone.

He didn't like when I ran from him and I was... trying. Trying to be the boyfriend he deserved. So I went down there to be as strong as I could for him. Even if all I really wanted to do was hide.

My time with Isaac had been casual with no emotion. He had been at the house one day when I thought I was alone and saw me with one of my hookups. Instead of being weird about it, he was just curious and at the time I was fucking anyone who was willing, so one thing led to another and we started hooking up.

It was fun but fleeting. It didn't last long and neither of us were hung up on it.

"Why do you think?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows. "He wasn't out yet."

Carson looked frustrated as both of his hands pulled at his hair and he paced the room.

"Look, Carson, I've fucked a lot of guys," I admitted with a deadpanned expression and he didn't look at me. "I kinda went crazy this summer. But I don't tell you about them because none of them are out and they don't matter to me anyway."

"A lot?" Carson muttered, sending me a wide eyed gaze that made me feel like shit.

All I could do was nod and look away from him. I didn't want him to know the amount of guys I had been with over the summer. I didn't want to have to see that look of disappointment.

"I'm sorry," Carson said, his voice stronger now, back to how he usually sounded. "I'm not judging you. It's none of my business. I'm just frustrated. Why wouldn't Isaac tell me?"

That I couldn't answer for him. Isaac never struck me as a coward. He was actually quite unapologetic. Keeping his connection to me a secret from Carson, when he knew I wouldn't say anything in order to protect the secret of his sexuality, was messed up. But I was sure he had his reasons.

"Maybe he just didn't want to freak you out," I said with a shrug, walking over to him and wrapping my arms around his waist.

Carson sighed and leaned into my touch, throwing and arm around my shoulders.

"I just wish he would have told me when he found out about us," he said and I leaned my head on him and hummed in agreement.

Whatever Isaac's reasons were for not telling Carson were his and I didn't want to end up in the middle of a fight between the two of them. The thought of them being in an argument because Isaac and I slept together made me feel all sorts of strange. I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with that.

"What did Logan say to you when he followed you in the kitchen?" Carson asked me after a few moments of the two of us standing in each other's arms in silence.

I let out a low, steady breath. The topic of Logan only soured my mood further.

"Just getting in my business where he doesn't belong," I said as I thought back on our conversation in the kitchen.

*

"What exactly is going on with you two?" Logan asked as soon as the two of us were alone.